Love Hurts
by Austen's Girl
Summary: What do you do when the only to make you stop crying is the one who made you cry?
1. Chapter 1

_What do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying, is the one who made you cry?_

She had always prided herself on not needing anyone. She had been the strong, independent woman who was above all the high school drama because she was going places in her life, she was going to be someone. She had never believed in the notion of true love either, that might come as a surprise, considering her affection for sappy musicals and tragic plays, but that was kind of the point, nothing she watched or believed in really had a happy ending.

She had come to terms with the fact that she wasn't destined to be the pretty blonde wearing the too short red and white skirt, she had her own style anyway, she didn't even really want to be them, because being a cookie-cutter copy was not in the cards for Rachel Berry. No. She was going to blow them all away in a few years when her talent would finally be appreciated for what it was, and that was enough for her.

Or so she thought.

She had never given much thought to falling in love, because like she said she didn't believe in true love anyway, but she had never been given the chance either.

Finn Hudson.

He was an anomaly to her very existence, he contradicted everything she prided herself on. He took what was supposed to define her and he made it seem irrelevant and a little selfish.

He made her believe in things like happily ever after, and true love, he made her believe that maybe there was something more important than becoming a star.

She was more happy than she had ever dreamed of being, the way he looked at her, the way he held her, the way he was just there loving her for exactly who she was.

It terrified her, it really did, because if this boy could make her forget who she was so simply, was she really that strong of a person to begin with?

But she didn't have time to think all that through because before she knew it, she had ultimately ruined it, she destroyed the only thing she had begun to live for, and it was in that moment, the one where he told her they were "officially" broken up, that she realized just how much she had begun to define herself based on him.

Sure she still had her dreams and her ambitions, but she had forgotten how to just be her, annoying quirks and all.

She spent her winter break trying to be that person again, she went through old photo albums, read old journal entries, all things she used to do before _him_ but none of it really worked, because all that did was remind her of how lonely she was before, and how lonely she was now.

Walking back into the school on the inevitable first day she felt more vulnerable than she ever had, and not because she was afraid that someone would stain her new shirt with a slushie, no that she could handle, she was terrified that she could go an entire day without someone speaking to her.

Besides Finn, and possibly Kurt, she had no real friends, and she can't imagine that after everything that went down she'd be sure to make any now. So she kept her head down and her books clutched tightly to her chest as she made her way to her first class.

By the time lunch had rolled around she realized just how right she was, not one single person had paid her any attention, and it wasn't that she was craving it, she really wasn't, but to at least be acknowledged would be nice.

As she looked around the cafeteria she realized how much she really did not want to be there.

She picked up her tray and made her way to her only safe haven, the choir room.

She knew that not even the glee club would hang out here when they didn't have to. So she felt safe, secure, and completely alone.

She was trying really hard to not let the tears fall as much as they were threatening to escape, she knew it was a fruitless effort as the first of many cascaded down and landed on the book she was only pretending to read.

The first of her sobs escaped before she could even think to stop them, and she could feel her body slip down into the chair and her lunch, along with her book, ended up somewhere on the floor in front of her.

Her self-pity was enveloping her like an old friend, so much so that she didn't hear the other person walk into the choir room.

"Rachel?" The confusion was laced with pity in the voice that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Rachel's head snapped up as she heard her teacher call her.

"M…M…Mr. Shue. Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize anyone else was here." She was doing a very poor job of stopping her tears, as she tried to collect her things from the floor.

"Rachel did something happen?" Mr. Shue knelt own beside her and handed her the book that had managed to fall out of her grasp.

"No. I'm fine." She quickly put her belongings back in her bag and attempted to walk out of the room, when Mr. Shue's voice rang out again.

"Is it Finn?" Rachel turned to look at him and she really couldn't stop the second assault of tears that were finding there way out of her eyes.

"Is it that obvious?" She felt her face flush and she felt mortified that she was standing in a classroom, in front of her teacher, crying over a boy, she had never felt more ridiculous in her life, but she also had never felt more helpless either.

"Letting someone you love go is always hard. It doesn't need to be obvious to be real."

"Does it ever get better?" She knew the answer before he gave it to her.

"Of course it doesn't. You just learn new ways to cope." Mr. Shue looked at her with such sympathy it made her want to cry all over again.

"Thanks Mr. Shue." She tried to escape before she lost it again.

"Rachel?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't give up so easy." MR. Shue was looking at her with such honesty she felt as though he was talking from experience.

"I'm not. It's just…it's just really hard when he won't even look at me."

"Give him time, hurt pride isn't something that lasts forever."

"You think that's all it is?" She couldn't help the tiny bubble of hope that was starting to form.

"I know it is. He may not look at you, but that doesn't mean he's not looking for you." With those wise words the older man left Rachel to contemplate by herself again.

Lost in her own thoughts Rachel didn't even notice that she had made it all the way to her next class, the one she had with Finn, and sat where she always sat, directly beside him.

It honestly hadn't even dawned on her to change seats but here they were sharing a table, and by the time she had realized what she had done class had already started. Horrified at herself she looked over at Finn who looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"I'm so sorry Finn…I…I…I just didn't think. I'll move." She went to gather her things when she felt the warm touch of his hand close around her arm.

"Stay." It was all he said, and he didn't even look at her when he did it, but she listened, and she sat, and she had never felt so uncomfortable in her entire life.

The desire to touch him, to look at him was almost overwhelming that when the bell rang she shot out of her chair so fast she knocked her bag over for the second time that day.

Silently cursing her newly jittery self she bent down to pick everything up, without even noticing the extra pair of hands that were helping.

"Here." His voice sounded hoarse as he handed her, her books, but he didn't turn away when she looked at him.

"Thank you." She couldn't think of anything else to say to him, and with her voice already uncharacteristically quiet she wasn't sure if it would come out anyway.

He continued to look at her, a penetrating stare that would've had her blushing if she hadn't been so afraid of breaking the only connection she's had with him for weeks.

"Have you been crying?" His question caught her so off guard it almost made her want to start crying again.

"Why?"

"Because you're eyes are red, and the only time they get that way is when you cry." He said it so softly, and so matter-of-factly that she couldn't stop the third bout of tears that were falling faster and harder than she had ever remembered. She could feel the sobs beginning, and she didn't want to force this on him, so she tried to run.

She got as far as the door before she felt the all too familiar arms wrap themselves around her body and pull her in close.

"I'm sorry." His words only made her cry harder, she didn't know what he had to be sorry for. This was all her fault.

"Don't be sorry. Please don't be sorry. This is all my fault. I'm the one who should say sorry. 'Cause I am. So so sorry." His grip tightened on her, and she couldn't do anything to stop the round of sobs that were wracking her body.

"Rachel, look at me." She could barely force her head to look up at him, but she did it because he asked, and really at this point it was the least she could do for him.

"Time. Okay? Just time." He leaned his head forward and let his lips covey the rest of the message.

She melted into him, but he pulled away faster than she would've liked, and with one last brush of his fingers across her forehead he was gone.

**A/N So I had originally intended for this to be a one-shot but I could also continue with this, but you gotta let me know! Thanks for reading (and reviewing? Please?)!**


	2. Chapter 2

Time.

It was the one thing she couldn't control.

She knew he wanted. She knew he needed it, hell she needed it too, but it was still that fickle concept that she couldn't quite wrap her head around.

It had been over a week since Finn had made his declaration to her, and she thought things would get a little easier, but he still seemed to avoid her like the plague.

So she chalked it up to that "time" thing again.

Did she mention that she hated "time"?

Classes were difficult enough, mostly because she still had to sit somewhere in his vicinity without being allowed to speak to him or touch him, or even really make eye contact with him. Yeah, maybe she was being a little melo-dramatic about it, but she was new to this and she didn't know how to navigate this on her own.

Glee.

Glee was the worst though, she not only had to see him and be near him, she had to sing with him. She had tried turning down the opportunities at first, claiming she was trying to be a supportive teammate and let someone else sing. But the reality was she was Rachel Berry, and Rachel Berry didn't turn down the chance to sing.

Plus it was really nice to pretend with him for a while. Even if that's all it ever would be.

She had tried to be friends with some of her fellow Glee-clubbers, hoping that it would take her mind of that damn "time" notion that was driving her nuts. But all that did was remind her exactly what she didn't have, and exactly why she didn't have it.

The only person she had felt the desire to spend more than five minutes with recently (other than Finn) was Kurt, but even that was becoming increasingly difficult, him being Finn's step-brother and all.

So she did nothing.

Which was incredibly counter-productive.

And she supposes this is what landed her in the predicament she was in at this particular moment.

She wasn't supposed to be bothering him, she was supposed to respect his wishes and wait for him to come to her.

But did she mention that she was Rachel Berry?

And that she had a little difficulty with that whole "time" notion?

Well in any case that's what led her to his door. At two-o-clock in the morning. While wearing her cupcake print pajamas. With a very confused Finn standing at his door. While wearing just a pair of boxers.

She would've thought it was a dream come true if she hadn't just single-handedly ruined her chances of him ever coming back to her.

He looked at her with such a mix of pity and confusion she thought it was almost worse then his one of anger and disdain.

This look made her feel pathetic.

She realized her mistake almost as soon as he opened the door, and just like she attempted in that classroom, she turned to run back down the driveway, hop back into her car and drive to a very far away place where she could someday hope to overcome the humiliation of this particular night.

But again like in the classroom her coordination failed her at exactly the moment that she needed it, and her foot caught the ridiculously small edge of the stone steps and down she flew on all fours.

His arms were pulling her back up before she could even register the pain of the fall, and he had the piteous look in his eyes again, and she could feel the stinging of her unshed tears burning her eyes.

"Finn…I…I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come. This isn't what you asked me to do. I'm trying to respect you're wishes, really I'm trying, I…I…I just don't know how to." The words were tumbling out of her mouth before she could even think to stop them, and he was still wearing that look on his face and she couldn't take it anymore.

That's when she let the tears fall, that's when she threw herself into his arms, and lost all her sense of pride and let her sorrow get the best of her.

She felt it when his arms closed around her. She felt it when his head came down to rest on hers. She felt it when his own tears started their escape.

They stood there for an immeasurable amount of time.

Time.

It was that fickle notion she couldn't wrap her head around.

She knew it would have to eventually end, and he was the first one to pull away. She couldn't let go though, she wasn't ready too.

She knew he knew this, and he didn't force her too, but he did place his finger under her chin and drag it upwards so that she was forced to look directly into those eyes that no longer held the pity, but a longing she hadn't seen in a while.

"Rachel…" He started to say it, but she couldn't hear it, not yet, not while his arms were still around her, not while the tear tracks were still fresh on her face.

"Don't Finn. Please." She was shaking her head and it seemed to match the pattern of her body, which had suddenly lost the ability to stand still.

He smiled at her, not his full-blown one, but one that she knew just as well. It was the one that says please just let me talk, the one he always used when he was going to tell her something she didn't necessarily want to hear.

"Rachel, I love you." The sound of her gasp could be heard across nations, and she was about to respond when he continued.

"But Time. Okay? Time." And there it was.

Time.

That fickle notion she couldn't wrap her head around.

But she did the only thing she could and she nodded, and pulled her arms out of his grasp.

He didn't let her go completely. He leaned down and brushed his lips softly over hers, and her heart melted right then and there. He pulled back, gave her that smile and walked back into the house.

She made her way over to her car and the only thing she could think of was Time.

That fickle thing she couldn't wrap her head around.

But.

She could do it right?

She could give him that? Well, only time would tell.

**I 3 reviews! Please and thank you! I have some more ideas for this story, but I'm not sure if it's wanted?**


	3. Chapter 3

Thirty-four days.

That's how long it had been since she showed up on his doorstep. That's how long it had been since she had had some sort of contact with him and she was damn proud of herself.

Or at least that's what she was telling herself.

She still wasn't all that comfortable with the whole "time" concept, but she was making a valiant effort and that had to be worth something, right?

If she was being perfectly honest with herself she'd admit that although she had managed to keep her distance, it was probably the hardest thing she'd ever have to do. And singing with him in Glee wasn't exactly helping her either, but she was an actress and so she put on her brave face and she pretended like it was all okay, and that she wasn't completely dying inside.

If you say something long enough it kind of becomes the truth you know?

So she said it, over and over and over again, until she was convinced of her own growth in the situation.

She would never have even been able to point out the lie if it hadn't happened the way it did.

It was so subtle she barely even noticed it herself, but her finely tuned intuition, or her Finn-tuition as she sometimes liked to call it, picked up on the look. The one that was very obvious in it's message, the one that used to make her heart melt, the one that was very much not intended for her.

The way he smiled at her, and the way Rachel's heart shattered when he did it, told her the gig was up. She was calling her own bluff.

Who was she trying to kid anyway?

Finn would always have a vice grip on her heart and up until that moment she had been perfectly okay with that.

She was sure that Finn hadn't seen her yet so she tried to bolt around another corner, one that was ridiculously far away from him.

This time she succeeded in her mission. She was in the girl's washroom before anyone had even seen her. That was, she supposed, the upside of being small and invisible in high school.

The tears were out before the sobs, but she could feel them welling up and she couldn't stop them, she couldn't control them and when she heard the door open she couldn't even bring herself to care about someone seeing her cry.

It was only when the person put a comforting hand on her shoulder that she managed to look and see who it was.

The look on Quinn's face was enough to make Rachel start sobbing all over again.

Who had she been trying to kid? Finn was the only thing she cared about. She wanted him more than a Tony, more than a starring role on Broadway. Being with Finn had made her feel like a person, not just a talent, but a genuine person. Someone who was worth loving.

The ache that she had been holding in for those ridiculous thirty- four days unleashed itself in the most violent of ways and Rachel barely had any time before she found the contents of her lunch swimming at the bottom of a school toilet. Quinn's soothing rubs on her back brought her back to this moment and she looked at the blonde girl whom she had idolized for so long and couldn't help wondering why on earth she was choosing to help her right now.

Quinn seemed to sense this and gave her a half-smirk before explaining her very out-of-character actions.

"Everybody deserves someone. And despite everything that happened you were there for me last year when I got pregnant."

Rachel could barely acknowledge the almost declaration of friendship because her body had decided to repeat its course of action an empty its contents into the school toilets. She knew that she had noting left in her system when the aching dry-heaves took over.

But through it all Quinn stayed right by her side. They didn't need words, it was almost as if their bond transcended them. There was nothing really to say anyway. No words could ease Rachel's pain, and Quinn wasn't naïve enough to her insult her by offering any anyway.

When Rachel had managed to somewhat get herself under control, and looking as best as she could be bothered to care, she turned to Quinn to thank her.

"No need." Quinn smiled before the words were out of Rachel, and Rachel smiled gratefully.

"There is one thing you should know though" Rachel stared at Quinn afraid of some hidden camera the girl might have stored somewhere.

"He loves you. Just give him time." And with those wise words she left Rachel standing there contemplating.

Time.

There it was again.

She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. She was absolutely aching all over, and she was half-way to her car when she realized she had Glee practice. Groaning inwardly, and seriously contemplating not going, she trudged her way to the choir room where she was no doubt the last one to arrive.

She realized how bad she must've looked when even Santanna had nothing to say to her. With nothing left in her tank she took a seat at the back of the room and kept her head as far down as she could.

"Rachel?" The sound of her name snapped her out of her daze and she looked towards the voice to see an expectant Mr. Shue looking at her.

"Yeah?" It was all she could muster, and even that was a struggle.

"Are you ready to perform?" In all her realizations today she had forgotten about the Glee assignment, and of course she had something prepared but the desire to sing had completely left her body, and the waiting eyes of all her teammates was making her wanna cry again. So she bit her lip and shook her head.

"No?" Mr. Shue wasn't the only person who was confused, the entire classroom stared at her.

"Did you not prepare something?" MR. Shue wasn't angry, he wasn't accusing her of anything, because to be perfectly honest he knows in her darkest hours she always has something prepared.

"I did. I just don't feel like singing right now." The voice that was clawing its way out of her throat felt so foreign, it was too quiet, too timid, and it made her feel sick again.

Knowing the signs she bolted from the classroom before anyone could ask who the pod person inhabiting Rachel Berry's body was.

Relief washed over her as she made it to the awful school toilets again, where her stomach had yet again emptied itself. If she had been thinking rationally she would've asked how she could still have something to throw up.

She heard the distinct sound of the door opening again, and to be honest she was a little glad that Quinn had followed her, having someone there was a little comforting, even if that person was a little more than an acquaintance.

"I'm okay Quinn." She tried to make herself not sound pathetic, but even her acting skills were failing her at this point.

"It's not Quinn." The sound of his voice made her heart leap into her chest, and if she had had anything left in her system she's sure that it wouldn't have stayed there.

He moved closer to where she was sitting hunched over the toilet, and if she hadn't felt so horrible she would've laughed at the ludicrous way he was trying to squish his abnormally large frame into the tiny stall beside her.

"You don't have to stay here Finn I'm fine."

"Yes, you seem absolutely fine." The sarcasm he laced in his words made her wince a little, but the soothing motions he was making with his hands on the small of her back made her melt a little.

And even though her stomach had nothing left to offer that didn't mean that her tear ducts were feeling the same way. They started out slowly and worked there way into full-fledged sobs within no time.

She felt like she had no control left in her.

But she was Rachel Berry and Rachel Berry _always_ had control, and this thought just made her feel worse, because who was she anymore?

"Rachel talk to me, what's going on?" She knew the voice he was using was supposed to make her feel calmer, to make her want to open up to him, but she couldn't at least not about this.

She shook her head at him, and pleaded with him with her eyes to not push the subject.

"Rachel…" His voice cracked and her head snapped up to see tears filling his eyes and she couldn't stop herself from reaching out to him. To stroke his cheek. To run her fingers through his hair.

He closed his eyes at her touch and this seemed to fuel her and she moved herself closer so that she was straddling his legs, which had stretched themselves under the stall wall. She didn't allow herself to do anything other than touch his face, she kept her hands in his hair as long as she could.

He eventually opened his eyes and the pain she saw there almost killed her.

"Rachel. We can't. We can't just go back. I need…" She wouldn't let him finish.

"Don't say time. Please just don't say time." She was shaking her head and she was refusing to look at him.

He tucked a loose piece of her hair behind her ear, and let his hand linger a little longer than was necessary.

"We'll get there. I promise." She managed to look directly at him then, and she just about broke all over again.

"I don't know how much more I can take Finn. I'm not that strong. I love you too much." Her eyes had a fresh batch of tears to assault her with as she made her weak confession.

"I love you too. You know that Rach, but I can't just go back to what we had, I need time to get there. Please." He was pleading with her, and she could feel herself crumbling, but she couldn't do it anymore, she couldn't just stand around waiting for him to come back to her. To realize that being apart wasn't helping either of them.

"I can't Finn. I can't keep waiting, I know I screwed up. I know that! But you've had time, and I've had nothing. I just don't understand what to do anymore." She got up off his lap and walked over to the sink to clean herself up.

"So what're you saying? Are we…are we over?" If she hadn't been standing so close to him she wouldn't have heard him.

She honestly didn't know how to answer him.

So she felt instead of talked. And she kissed him one last time.

And then she left.


	4. Chapter 4

Time.

It was that fickle concept she couldn't wrap her head around.

But here she was twelve days after she had made the decision to walk away from him, and she'd like to think that progress had been made. She wouldn't really be lying.

The ache that she had used to feel whenever she saw him was slowly dulling, very slowly dulling. But she took it as some progress. At least she didn't feel the need to empty her stomach every time she saw him.

See, progress.

Glee wasn't easier though, if she was being honest. And she was. It was still hard to sing with him, to pretend to be something they weren't anymore, and quite possibly would never be again.

She wasn't naïve enough to think she didn't still love him.

She did.

And that was kind of the problem.

She wanted to be with him, but she didn't know how anymore. Especially not after his declaration of needing time. She didn't know how to handle him loving her, needing her, but not right now. For as much of a planner Rachel was, she hated the not-knowing part of the future. This wasn't something she could plan for, and that killed her.

Control.

That's what it was about, that's what it was always about. Who had the control.

And this time it sure as hell wasn't her.

That's why when Mercedes approached her about going to watch the next football game because she had a serious crush on the new kid and needed a wingman she couldn't even think of a good excuse to not go.

So she went.

And it was by far the most awkward experience she had had this year. Sitting with Mercedes was fine, fun even. Watching her friend (?) fawn and giggle over a boy was nice, refreshing even. And she did not begrudge the young diva her own happiness, but she couldn't handle the fact that she had sacrificed her own so damn easily.

Watching Finn on the field was hard. Knowing that he wasn't looking for her now, he wasn't trying to catch her eye, or send her some sort of pseudo-romantic signal that only she would know because she knew him.

No.

This time he just played.

He kept his head in the game and didn't even look up once. It broke her heart a little, because she was sure that he knew she was there, and maybe she was just looking for a sign that he hadn't given up either.

But that's when it happened.

And it happened so fast she wasn't sure she had even really seen it.

But the collective gasp from the crowd made it real.

Finn was lying in the middle of the field.

He wasn't moving.

Se felt like her heart had stopped. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. She could feel Mercedes grab her arm and pull her down the stairs. She could feel herself being pushed out to where he was. Even in their post-break-up people knew, if one went down so did the other.

She felt her knees give out on her as she got closer, she could smell the blood before she saw it. Her heart was in her throat as she approached him.

He still wasn't moving.

That was bad.

She could feel herself being pushed to the side as the paramedics were making their way to him. It was all happening so fast, they were loading him onto a stretcher before she could remember to breathe. It wasn't until she could feel someone tugging on her hand that she remembered she was standing in the middle of the football field.

Quinn was dragging her off the field towards the locker rooms. Rachel didn't have the motor skills to stop her. To ask her normal questions, to demand to know where she was dragging her while Finn's status was up in the air. But as they approached Quinn's car and Mercedes was already waiting for them Rachel lost it.

"I can't do this." It came out as whisper, and the other two girls could hear the fear laced into her words.

"Yes, you can. You have to." Quinn left no room for argument, and Rachel climbed into the front seat of the car, unable to stop the tears, not really wanting to.

The drive to the hospital seemed unnaturally long and silent, and by the time they had arrived Rachel's tears were so unbearable it took Quinn leading her inside for her to even be able to get there.

They weren't the first ones to arrive, meeting Finn's mom and Burt in the hallway. The look on Carole's face told Rachel enough.

She ran.

She didn't know where she was running to, she just let intuition take over and let her legs carry her wherever they would.

She didn't realize how far she had gone until she ran smack into what she thought was a brick wall. But brick walls don't have arms, and they don't hold her the way that this one was.

Puck led her over to the chairs that he had been waiting in. He let her cry, he held her until he thought she could handle what he had to say.

"Rachel he's in room 113. You need to go see him." His voice was unnatural and solemn. And it scared the crap out of Rachel.

But she got up.

And she walked until she was standing in front of the room.

It took everything she had to push the door open, and when she did the sight that assaulted her was enough to make her run again. If she hadn't been completely aware of who was in that room she wouldn't have recognized him.

The bandage that was covering most of his head was terrifying enough, but the bruises that were becoming more prominent on his face were worse, they made her absolutely aware of how vulnerable he really was.

And then she cried.

Again.

She made her way over to where he lay on the bed, afraid to touch him but having no control over it. Her hand found its way into his and she held on like her life depended on it.

And it did.

There was no denying it anymore.

She was in love with him.

She cried a little harder because how stupid was she to think that she could ever walk away from him and be a complete person again. It was ridiculous really, the idea of a Rachel without a Finn. She didn't even want to think about what was going to happen now. She just wanted it all back.

She just wanted him.

And if time was what it took for her to get it then it was something she was going to have to become adjusted to.

No matter how long it took.

Because she loved him.

And he loved her.

And there could never be a Finnchel if there wasn't a Finn. Or a Rachel.

So she held his hand tighter and she laid her head on his chest and she cried.

She cried for everything they had, and lost, and for everything they might not have now.

She was so lost in her misery that the hand that had made its way to her back went unnoticed and it wasn't until she heard the soothing sound of his voice that she realized he was awake.

Her head snapped up and she looked into those beautiful brown eyes she never thought she'd see again.

"You're awake?" She whispered to him not really believing it.

"Course I am. Gonna take a lot more than some high school jock to take me down." His pathetic attempt at a joke was lost on her, but the smile he was trying to form wasn't.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." She stated it without emotion, which Finn knew meant that she was so full of emotions she didn't know which one to deal with first.

"Rach…"

"No Finn. You can't. You can't do that to me. You don't get to leave. Not like that." Apparently manic was the emotion she was choosing to deal with first. Perfect.

"I promise. I won't. Now come here please I need something." She looked at him, trying to gauge if something was hurting him, but there was a hint of smile on his lips and that just confused her more.

She leaned forward to see what he wanted and he caught her lips with his and held on.

"What was that for?" She was breathless, and a whole lot of emotions that she couldn't even name right now.

He smiled at her before breathing out the sweetest words she thinks she ever heard.

"Time's up." He had a full-blown grin on his face as he watched hers go from shocked to realization to happy. Her answering assault on his lips was enough to solidify that she needed him too.

"Finn…I…" She couldn't form the damn words again and she thinks she's losing her touch but when his hand comes up and brushes the hair out of her face and she melts again, she thinks that maybe they don't really need words.

"Getting knocked out, and literally watching my life flash before my eyes made me realize that waiting to be with you again was a stupid way to waste my life. I want to be with you, I've always wanted to be with you. I love you, and I'm sorry it's taken me this long to figure it out." He pulled her down again and she got lost in his kiss that she forgot about his injuries and about the fact that she should probably tell someone he's awake.

She tried to pull away but even in his weakened state he was still stronger than her.

"Finn I need to get a doctor, you mom, someone to let them know you're awake." She shakes her head as she pulls away from him.

"Not yet, Rach please. Just you and me right now?" He looks at her his plea evident in his eyes; she just grins and walks to the door, offering him one more thought before she left to find someone.

"Time Finn. Okay? Just time."

And then she left.

But this time he knew she'd come back, and they would be fine.

Time.

It was that fickle concept she couldn't wrap her head around.

But she was learning.

And that was something.

**A/N There is an epilogue coming up and then that will be it! Thanks for sticking with me on ths one it was my first multi-fic one! The feed back has been fantastic thank you to everyone who has reviewed!**


	5. Chapter 5

_Epilogue_

Today was the day.

She could feel it in her bones.

Hell she felt it everywhere.

Although, feeling, when he was around was completely inevitable. She didn't have control over any of her senses when it came to him. She was completely vulnerable to him, and she was perfectly okay with this. It didn't bother her in the least.

That's why she knew that today was the day.

It was going to happen.

Because she didn't think it would, she _felt_ that it would.

So when he showed up at her door, wearing a nice shirt and that insane grin of his she _knew_ that what she_ felt_ wasn't wrong. It couldn't be wrong. Not now, not after everything.

Walking into the restaurant with her arm linked through his made her feel like she was floating, and not just because she had to stand on her tip toes most of the time, it's just the way he made her _feel._

They didn't say much, and she was okay with that, words weren't really necessary, not anymore, not for them.

It was when the dessert came and he still hadn't said much that she was starting to get a little worried.

"Finn?" The timid sound of her voice brought out that ridiculous grin, because he _knew_ what she_ felt_ and he wasn't about to ease her mind, or heart, without at least a little more anticipation.

"Yeah Rach?"

"So, um, why did you choose this place?" She was covering and he knew it, and if he wasn't at least a little nervous himself he would've laughed at the whole thing.

But he _was_ nervous.

Even though he knew the answer that didn't stop him from_ feeling_ at all.

"Because you deserve something special."

"Oh." He could hear the disappointment dripping off her voice, and he inwardly smiled to himself, because this is exactly where he wanted her.

"Rach?" He looked at her, and those eyes that he could just get lost in, met with his and his heart clenched at the thought of what he was about to do.

"Yeah?" She almost sounded scared, and he _knew_ that after everything they'd been through that she kind of had a reason to be.

"Marry me?" It didn't need to be overly thought out, it didn't need to be showy or flashy.

It was simple, like them.

Because despite what people though, Rachel berry didn't need to be showered with expensive gifts, or lavish plans. She just needed honesty, she needed the emotions.

And she definitely got them.

He simply placed the velvet box on the table and watched as she reached for it with trembling hands. He heard the distinctive creak of the box opening. And when he heard her small gasp he knew he had done good.

"Finn! It's beautiful! Its absolutely beautiful!" She had tears escaping as she tried to get her words out. He simply reached across and took the ring out of the box to slide it on her dainty finger.

"I love you Rachel."

"I love you too Finn." She smiled at him as he kissed the hand her ring was on.

She _knew_ in that moment that everything they'd had to deal with, every up and every down was worth it.

And in that moment Rachel finally got it.

Time.

Time was all it took to get them here.

_THE END_

**A/N So this is it for this story I hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, it's made me definitely want to try another multi-fic! Thanks again, and enjoy the Finnchel Fluff!**


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